Sanyo AM Radio Watch - Vintage 80s
Currently non-functional, we are working on restoring it. This can be considered one of the first steps in integrating radio listening features into a watch.
LOUASICS
7/26/20241 min read
Sanyo AM Radio Watch – When Time Came With Sound
Among thousands of mechanical and digital watches released over the decades, the Sanyo AM Radio Watch stands out in its own strange and beautiful way. Released in the early 1980s, it was one of the first timepieces to feature an integrated AM radio receiver — a bold move that laid the groundwork for what we now call multifunction smartwatches.
Its design is unapologetically retro: a digital LCD display, chunky side buttons to control volume and radio tuning, and an unmistakable 80s charm. While it may appear bulky or unusual today, the Sanyo Radio Watch dared to ask, “What else can a watch be?” It challenged the limits of timekeeping by introducing sound as a layer of experience on the wrist.
The particular model in our hands is currently non-functional, but here at Louasics, we're in the process of restoring it. Not to modernize it — but to preserve its original spirit, the essence of a time when watchmakers weren’t afraid to experiment, to innovate, or to fail boldly.
This isn’t just a collector’s piece. The Sanyo AM Radio Watch is a cultural timestamp, a symbol of Japan’s tech optimism, and proof that even imperfect ideas can echo into the future.
At Louasics, we believe time isn’t always about precision — sometimes, it’s about personality. And this watch has plenty.
